Comment by neilv

Comment by neilv 17 hours ago

When I tried CalyxOS years ago, it gave me the impression of generic Android with all possible "privacy" apps recommended.

I replaced it with GrapheneOS, which at the time seemed seemed to be developed much more seriously. (I haven't looked at recent CalyxOS.)

Choosing GrapheneOS determines the hardware: recent-generation Google Pixel.

For a more open platform, maybe take the Phosh stuff (or whatever it is now) that Purism developed for the Librem 5, and run it with PostmarketOS Linux with whatever is the current most mainline-kernel-and-drivers supported device. Or maybe the KDE Plasma mobile stuff has come along further.

I've been trying to get a good Linux handheld so long (including buying dozens of various devices, trying many approaches, doing many crazy builds, etc.), that I finally gave up. GrapheneOS works as a daily driver without violating me itself.

mu53 16 hours ago

Google pixel with grapheneOS is where I ended up as well. I think there was more interest in privacy focused OSes for a while, but it died out. The community has coalesced around google pixels and other phones/manufacturers have hardened against 3rd party OSs.

Linux phones are just not there, and getting non-smart phone would be better than a linux phone for reliability.

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ustamills 13 hours ago

I'm typing this on my Google pixel 6A using grapheneOS. I've been very happy with results. There have been a couple of friction spots, but nothing I've not been able to work through. The installation was remarkably simple.

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marto1 14 hours ago

So ensuring privacy would mean feeding the infamous privacy predator Google? Seems like a classic case of exchanging short term gains for long term pain.

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neilv 13 hours ago

The actual problem is a bit different than what people reading your message might think. AFAIK, GrapheneOS doesn't talk to Google, by default.
The nature of the problem is more about:
* being somewhat at the mercy of Google (in hardware, and in where they take Android, and how they might frog-boil), and
* in supporting this compromise, to the exclusion of advancing more open and sustainable ones.
I suspect that the relative number of principled techies has dropped dramatically, as the number of people developing computer stuff increased massively, and we let the Leetcode interviews and the VCs lead astray prospective new principled techies.
Debian, for example, has a critical mass of principled techies for historical reasons. Not many projects do. And it's really hard to find new principled techies, when most people are just imitating what they see everyone else doing: posturing and promoting personal brands with open source (because they heard it's a good way to help land ), or launching open source projects that they hope to be startups (usually essentially investment scams, whether they realize that or not, or the rare legitimate ones). They're not bad, they just haven't seen much different. Plus the occasional state actor sleeper on a project, which we have to assume is happening, plus entire projects that are giant long-con honeypots.
So I'm hoping GrapheneOS somehow manages to be sustainable and have integrity. I think founder strcat is principled and passionate, for example, though I don't know the current contributors. I sent the project a little money I could spare. Because GrapheneOS is the best user-respecting daily-driver option I see at the moment, and I couldn't wait or flail around any longer.
Purism might be a good daily driver, and I think they respect users, but their entry level price point is too high for me and most people. And they seem to chronically have financial problems, so I don't know how long they'll be around. Last I checked, running their software platform on affordable used third-party hardware, as entry points for large numbers of principled techies (like Linux was), wasn't yet viable.

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- summm 5 hours ago
  
  GrapheneOS pushes hard for remote attestation though.
  
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- fsflover 9 hours ago
  
  > Last I checked, running their software platform on affordable used third-party hardware, as entry points for large numbers of principled techies (like Linux was), wasn't yet viable.
  It seems you've just described Pinephone, which runs Phosh quite well and is quite affordable.
  
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fsflover 16 hours ago

> take the Phosh stuff (or whatever it is now) that Purism developed for the Librem 5, and run it with PostmarketOS

Or just buy Librem 5 and use it with the preinstalled PureOS. Works for me.

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